Daniel Vettori signs for Brisbane Heat in BBL 2

Brisbane, Jul 9: New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has signed up for Brisbane Heat to play in Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash League this year.

Brisbane Heat announced the new signing on their website on Monday. Vettori, who captained Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, has been the first major signing for Brisbane this season.

Vettori has inked a three-year deal, a repot on the Brisbane Heat website said. Last year, he had played three games for Brisbane.

BBL 2 will begin on December 7 and go on till January 19 with eight teams in the league.

"I had a really good time last season. They were a great bunch of blokes led by a top coach in Darren Lehmann and his support staff, which made for a very enjoyable environment to play cricket in,'' Vettori was quoted as saying.

The 33-year-old said it was "a pretty easy decision" to make and he want to play in front of big crowds of the Gabba.

"It was a pretty easy decision to make to come back. It's another chance to play in front of the fans at the Gabba which is a great ground. Everyone remembers us playing really well at the back end of the competition and winning four games in row," the former New Zealand captain said.

"If you look at the squad we had, there was an expectation we would do well, so if the bulk of the squad remains, with a few additions, then we can aim to go one step further and make the semi-finals. And as we saw, once you make the semis, then anything can happen.

"It's nice to have the security with the three-year deal. Knowing you can commit to the team and the fans for the next few seasons, it means you know where you are going to be and can plan around that. I'm looking forward to it," he added.

Brisbane's coach Darren Lehmann said he was happy to have Vettori.

"Dan showed last season his value for us. He's a great leader on and off the field where he is always a highly motivated team member. As a coach, he's the ultimate professional,'' Lehmann said.

"I think he's a wonderful fit for the Heat and would expect that he will perform an important role for us for the next few seasons."

The recruiting window for BBL 2 will continue until July 20. Each BBL team has to sign a minimum of 14 players in the signing window, with a maximum of 18 players allowed. Final squads will be completed by November 30.